By: Kirk Walstedt, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Tilbury Times Reporter

John Mullins, known in his day as an “honoured and venerable resident” of Rochester Township, County of Essex, was born in the parish of Glynn, County Limerick, Ireland, on December 22, 1829, a son of Edward and Bridget (Kennedy) Mullins. John was the oldest of eight children.

In 1832, John’s parents, together with their first three children, took passage on a sailing vessel bound for America. After 13 weeks and three days at sea, they landed in Quebec City. The family initially settled on a piece of land in Perth, County of Lanark.

However, after six years of trying to till the stony soil, they left and made the journey to Essex County, where they were told Colonel Talbot, a representative of the British Crown, was issuing land grants to settlers who were willing to clear the heavily forested land for farming.

The area where Edward’s family would settle would later become known as Rochester Township. Although Edward intended to settle on a section of Colonel Talbot’s land, he was mistakenly directed to Lot 5, north of the Middle Road, land that had initially been reserved for the Clergy. Upon discovering the mistake, Edward made a day-long trip to Sandwich Town, where he met with Captain Wilkinson, an Upper Canada Land Agent for the Crown. After some discussion, it was agreed that Edward could purchase 100 acres of the Clergy Reserve where his family had initially settled.

It’s hard to believe today that Essex County was mostly dense forest when John and his parents arrived. Low-lying areas near the headwaters of major creeks and rivers were uninhabitable. It took until the late 1800s to drain many of these areas for farmland. Before Edward, Bridget, and their young family could clear the forest, they first had to build a cabin.

Since the 100 acres Edward purchased was the northern half of Lot 5, the property didn’t front a road. The family cleared the land and built a passable road from the farm to Middle Road. Edward also created a road to his nearest neighbor, a mile north. Life was difficult for early settlers, as supplies had to be transported by boat from Detroit and Windsor to the Rochester shoreline, then hauled overland by wagon pulled by oxen or horses.

Edward and Bridget had eight children. When schools were finally available, they were too old to attend. Their eldest, John, sought a good education, studying at night by the light of a hickory bark fire, carefully treasuring every bit of knowledge. During summer days, he worked on the farm with his father, and in winter, he found work in the woods making barrel staves and hauling timber to sawmills.

Edward’s wife, Bridget, died in 1856. A few years afterward, he married Ann Riley, also from Ireland. As a prominent man in the township, Edward served on the Rochester Township Municipal Council and was a school trustee for several years.

Edward and Ann stayed on the original farm until 1870, then moved to Lot 18 on the 1st Concession. By his death at 71 in 1875, Edward had amassed 450 acres of fertile farmland.

In addition to John, two of his sisters remained in the area and married into other prominent families. Ellen married Matthew Butler of Rochester Township and Margaret married Joseph Strong of Belle River.

John continued working on his father’s farm after Edward’s death. In 1852, he married Julia Sheehan from Lanark County. Two years later, he purchased an additional 100 acres, which he cleared and transferred to his son Morris. John and Julia had eight children. Bridget married Edward Tracey, Mary married Michael Byrne, and Julia married James Byrne—each from prominent Rochester families, many of whose descendants still live in Essex County.

Julia passed away on April 2, 1902, and John on February 2, 1905. Like his father before him, John was actively involved in the community, serving on various committees, including the building committee for Woodslee’s first Catholic church, St. John the Evangelist.

It was said at his passing, “Few men were more highly respected than Mr. Mullins, who was a man worthy of any and every confidence, and who has well borne his part in the development of his locality.”

Maidstone Township – An Historical Review, The Biographical Commemorative Record of Essex County and The Walstedt Archives were valuable resources in the writing of this story.